Beorn, R.I.P.

Our beloved Beorn is gone.

After my last post about him, we left for another week of traveling. This trip to the Oregon coast was more relaxing for me, though a lot cooler and wetter. It sounds stupid, but we wanted Beorn to see the ocean for the first time in his life. He loved to swim and wade in every lake, river and creek he found, and taking him to the ocean was the next logical step, but we never had a trip planned until now. Sadly, he was too weak to make his way down the sand dune to the water, but seemed content to sit at the top of the dune with The Missus and watch the waves, while I took Hudson down for walks on the beach.

Beorn had a great life. Over the course of his almost eleven years, he traveled with us to ten western states. He loved riding in the back of the car on the soft dog beds we laid out.

Everywhere he went, he attracted massive attention befitting his stature.

Our favorite story: In 2019 we were just outside of Jackson Hole, WY and had stopped to view the Grand Tetons. There was large rock at the view site, and The Missus had Beorn jump up on the rock and strike a pose (something he seemed to do naturally every time a camera was out). Just as I began taking photos of him, a tour bus pulled up and out piled a bunch of people who also began snapping photos of Beorn and the mountains.

When I was finished, The Missus had Beorn hop off the rock, and at that moment, the whole crowd of tourists let out a disappointed “Awwwww!”

Someone asked if Beorn could get back on the rock. So The Missus had him hop back up.

As they snapped their pictures one guy came up to me and asked, “Can you get him to look my way?”

Here’s a photo of Beorn on that rock.

Beorn was always a crowd-pleaser

And here’s another from that day with the mountains centered behind him.

So majestic! And the mountains ain't bad either.

Here’s Beorn in February, 2013, the day we brought him home for the first time.

So tiny!

All his life, he was the sweetest of dogs. He loved our cats, and small dogs whenever he encountered them. We took him everywhere; hardware stores; the bank; downtown shopping centers; car dealerships; everywhere. He was always a big hit with everyone we met.

Beorn loved road trips

Like all big dogs we’ve known, Beorn had his personality quirks. Among his favorite things to do; After a bath, he insisted on having his favorite towel draped around him. He would take a corner in his mouth and parade through the house wearing his towel (royal purple, I might add) on his way to his favorite seat on the couch, where he would lay under the towel to dry.

Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

He hated hot Summers, but he loved the Winter. Especially when it snowed. Though he did occasionally need to warm himself up.

Beorn was a beautiful dog, both inside and out, and he was dearly loved.

On Columbus Day we said our goodbyes to our big, lovely, Beorn.

We laid him to rest down the hill from the house, right next to Boris, his big brother who had gone before him in 2019. All our dogs' graves are marked with stone cairns.

We miss him terribly. The tears come easy so soon after. But we’re glad that Beorn’s pain is ended, and that he’s home forever.

Finally, I came across this online the other day and got all weepy:

From X (formerly Twitter)